Page 2 of Getting Dirty (A Three Sisters Story 2)

“Ah, you’re cold!”

I stepped back, suddenly self-conscious by my exposed bra and the two large wet circles I’d left on Gavin’s plaid jacket. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled, then crossed my arms in front of me. I looked away, searching for Kyle.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Gavin said, peeling off his jacket. “Why don’t you take this instead? Seriously. You’re starting to shiver.”

The thing about the mountains in August was that the evenings were crisp, even when you weren’t drenched from a wet t-shirt contest.

I thanked Gavin as he covered me up, then started searching for Kyle again. I spotted him right next to the fire, making out with one of my wet t-shirt cohorts. What the hell? I turned back to Gavin, feeling even stupider than I did a second ago.

His gaze had followed mine, and he looked back at me uneasily. “Well, kid, you win some, and you lose some.”

Why did I always feel like I was on the losing end?

“Here,” I said, starting to take his jacket off. “You should take this back. I think it’s time I went home.”

“Keep it,” he said. “I’ll come by tomorrow and get it when I book that hike I was telling you about.”

“Oh, yeah,” I said, barely hearing him. “See you then.” I turned away from the party, half-tipsy, and fully-embarrassed as I worked my way home. I only lived a couple of blocks away, in a townhouse I shared with a couple of friends. The nice thing about being a townie is you know where all the good real estate is.

When I got home, I hung up Gavin’s coat to dry, and stripped off my wet clothes, slipping into a dry t-shirt and shorts. I stopped at the fridge and eyed up the leftovers—some of my roommate’s tofu pie. It just wasn’t going to cut my shame-eating need. So instead, I trudged down the stairs to my bedroom and buried myself in my covers.

My phone beeped from my nightstand. Could it be Kyle? I grabbed my phone and saw it was Gavin.

Did you get home safe?

I texted back.

Safe in bed. C U tmw.

I checked my social media for anything exciting. Nada.

Gavin texted back.

Night.

I smiled and sent back a wink with a kiss. At least I still had friends, even if I didn’t have any romance. But would it hurt the universe to dish out a little love my way? I peered out my bedroom window, staring at the stars that twinkled above the mountain peaks and made a little wish.

Just one time, let it be my chance to find someone.

TWO

The bell to Three Sisters Adventures dinged above my head as I slipped inside. Ali was already inside; deep behind a stack of paperwork on her supervisor desk. The sounds of Blake banging around in the locker rooms came from behind the front office.

“Fun night?” Ali asked peeking up from her computer.

I shrugged as I slipped behind the front counter. I did have a headache from one too many drinks last night, and couldn’t help but think it was all for nothing. “It was uneventful, as usual.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Ali said half-paying attention as she stuck her pen in her mouth and started typing. Eww. Mental note. Do not touch any of Ali’s pens. “That was a nice bra you had on,” she mumbled past the object between her lips.

My face instantly flushed hot as I met Ali’s gaze. Her eyes were wrinkled at the sides as she tried to contain a smile. Did she see me in the contest? Ohmygod. How embarrassing. I bee-lined the coffee machine and kept my back to here as I filled my mug. The aroma of dark roast French vanilla filled my nose, and my headache faded for a moment. Caffeine was just what I needed. That and keeping my back to Ali as long as possible.

As I cradled my precious mug, the sound of Blake’s voice made me jump. “Cher! I need you in the back ASAP!” I slid off my seat and smiles as Ali rolled her eyes as I passed her desk.

Blake was nowhere to be seen in the locker rooms, but I could still hear her banging about, so I continued out back to the garage. I found her next to my work Jeep, with all the camping gear spread out around her.

“What’s up?” I asked eyeing the pile of madness she had created.

She looked up, face flushed and eyes filled with excitement. “I fly out first thing in the morning. I can’t believe I’m doing this!” She continued speaking faster and faster, and I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. “I mean, really—Houston—I’ve never been there before. What will I do? But at least I get to see Darian, right?”

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